San Francisco Real Estate

SFopenhome.com: New Online Open House Search

2009-02-24T20:59:00.001-08:00

The San Francisco Association of Realtors has launched a website, sfopenhome.com, that draws its Open Homes information directly from the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Open home information in newspapers and their websites, as well as in specific realty company websites, typically are an additional step or expense that the Realtor must make to market a home to the public. Since sfopenhome.com

The Civic Minded

2008-09-25T18:21:00.001-07:00

For as long as I can remember, my grandmother was vehement in her efforts to push city officials and public entities to provide a safe environment for the citizens of St. Louis Park, MN. From unsafe crosswalks to precariously dim-lit parking lots, if Jayne was impacted by it the city heard about it. And fixed it all. Now you can be Jayne too, with the help of a new website called SeeClickFix. The

JUST LISTED: TOP FLOOR VIEW UNIT AT THE PALMS

2008-07-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

JUST LISTED555 4TH STREET UNIT 930atTHE PALMS$630,000 ~ Open Sundays, 2-4 and shown by appointment. This top floor 1 bedroom 1 bath condo in the Heart of Soma will be your sanctuary in the City! Upgraded kitchen with Sub-Zero refrigerator and all Bosch appliances. Wonderful outlooks to Soma and AT&T Park. Southern exposure windows make this unit bright and cheery all day long.The Palms is a hip

Once a Firehouse, Now a $6 Million Spread

2008-05-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

I don't normally post about singular properties, but a $6 million listing in Noe Valley caught my eye. This firehouse built in 1909 was sold by the San Francisco Fire Department in 1959 and used as an artist's studio and residence. Last sold in 2006 for $2,100,000 (under asking), it comes to us now dramatically reformed and doubled in size (6140 sq. feet per MLS, and yes, that's $1038/sq. ft.).

Nobody Left California in 2007, Either.

2008-03-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Last year I wrote on the United Van Lines 2006 report, which stated that there was little to no change in California’s population. United Van Lines, the largest household moving company in the United States, released its 2007 annual report on US Migration earlier this month. California's statistics for 2007 came out the same. The company report on moves across the nation in 2007 stated that

Esprit Park Model Homes Now Open

2008-03-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Esprit Park will unveil 4 model homes this Thursday, March 20th, beginning at 12 PM. Two of models will be in the South Court, which combines new construction with preserved brick and timber architectual details. The other two models will be North Court units, which are entirely new construction.One bedroom units at Esprit Park range from the low $600,000's - $900,000's; two bedroom units range

Many New Developments Now Offering Incentives

2008-02-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Many new developments are currently offering incentives:Mission Valencia has lowered prices, and is offering up to 6 months prepaid mortgage as well as 2 years of paid HOAThe Arterra is offering 4.125% financing to qualified buyers who purchase units starting at $700,000 and upThe Hayes is offering 4 months prepaid mortgage plus a 1 point buydown on interest ratesEsprit Park has lowered prices,

Esprit Park Promises to Impress for Less

2007-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

McGuire Real Estate agents received an impressive sneak peak of Esprit Park and considerable details on design & finishes, building amenities, completion/occupancy dates and more. The project rivals most of the newer condo projects in SoMa/Mission Bay, and has a much sweeter price per square foot.Located in the up and coming Dogpatch neighborhood, Esprit Park will consist of 142 units in 25

Buying Property in SoMa

2007-08-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

San Francisco buyers who are tired of battling through the endless tide of multiple offer properties might consider buying in the South of Market area. Although the neighborhood may not appeal to everyone, the opportunity to buy sans competition may just be worth it. With a number of developments with available units, and even more developments on the way, SoMa, more than any other area in San

KRON 4 Reports on the Complexity of the Bay Area Real Real Estate Market

2007-06-23T15:53:00.001-07:00

Maureen Kelly of San Francisco's KRON4 News came across my recent post regarding demand in the luxury real estate market. Intrigued, she did some additional research, and shortly thereafter, did this segment on the evening news, which gives great case-in-point examples of a demand-driven real estate market.Thank you for persmission to embed the video, Maureen.

A Question From a Reader - Fractional TIC Financing

2007-06-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

A lot of readers come to my blog looking for information about TICs (Tenancy-in-Commons). One reader asks:Q: I am a Mortgage Broker from Los Angeles and [I have] a client who asked me about purchasing an individual unit in a building that is being converted into a TIC property... having never heard of a residential TIC property, I did my research today and found your name on an article about

San Francisco Sets New Record in Luxury Home Sales

2007-06-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

The lack of housing inventory across all price ranges in San Francisco continues to fuel a real estate market that contradicts national and state trends.While condominum and home sales are slightly below last year for the month of May (239 in 2007, 273 in 2006*), San Francisco has set a new record in its luxury home sector.May 2007 recorded the highest home sales in the $2,000,000 and up range

SB-464 Ellis Act Legislation Stalled

2007-06-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

The state proposed changes to California's Ellis Act, SB-464, failed to pass the State Senate. From Beyond Chron:"Senate Bill 464, the bill to reform the Ellis Act by limiting its scope to landlords who have owned the property for a certain number of years and sponsored by Assembly member Mark Leno and State Senator Sheila Kuehl, has failed to garner the 21 votes needed to pass. The bill appeared

Just Listed: 1925 10th Avenue

2007-05-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

JUST LISTED Golden Gate Heights ~ Single Family Home1925 10th Avenue, San Francisco$839,000Warm and welcoming two-level home in Golden Gate Heights. Three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, this home abounds in natural light. Views from every bedroom to the terraced yard. Large kitchen with walk-out to garden. Lovely wood burning fireplace and French paned windows in the living room. The one car

SB 464: Legislation Threatens Affordable Home Ownership in San Francisco

2007-05-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

In a move to protect housing rights for the 70-some-odd -% tenant population of San Francisco, housing bill SB 464 proposes to be another hindrance to San Francisco’s never ending struggle to provide enough real estate for sale to meet the City’s demand.Penned by Senator Sheila Kuehl (who also brought us the recent “60-day notice to

A Chat With Redfin

2007-03-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

I chatted briefly with the folks at Redfin.com yesterday. Oddly enough, the call came shortly after I watched part of a video interview of Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman on The Scoble Show (via Sellsius Real Estate blog).The call, spurred by my last post, was a friendly discussion on the differences in services and style offered by their online realty service versus that of the traditional broker. We

You Get What You Pay For: How a "Discount Agent" Fails in San Francisco

2007-03-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

Parlaying from my last post on the re-birth of multiple offers in San Francisco, here is a tale of a recent multiple offer situation where one buyer lost out using the discount online broker Redfin.com.Redfin.com's home page claims that buyer's work with experienced local agents who are experts in negotiating. They also offer 100% satisfaction and a 66% commission refund. Since the birth of

Offer Dates: Back with a Vengeance

2007-03-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

Just on the heels of news that San Francsico's February '07 housing sales volume was down compared to not only Feb '06 but also January '07, comes the return of every buyer's nightmare: The Offer Date.Since the beginning of March, more and more houses I tour or see on MLS have set offer dates. An offer date is a day, 10-14 days after the first open house, on which all interested parties need to

Lucky Sevens

2007-02-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

207 Clipper at Sanchez in Noe Valley is listed at $777,777 with Keller Williams. A 2 bedroom, 2 bath single family home with the most intriguing hardwood floors I've seen in a while. No doubt this cute little house will get plenty of attention without the peculiar pricing. Photo taken from MLS listing #319953.

Nobody's Leaving California: US Migration Statistics

2007-01-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

United Van Lines, the largest household moving company in the United States, released its 2006 annual report on US Migration earlier this month. North Carolina and Oregon were the top two states for inbound traffic, United Van Lines reported. South Carolina, Nevada and Idaho rounded out the top five.California saw it's lowest exodus of residents in four years. Considering the 2005 "peak" in the

First Impressions: 3208 Pierce Street

2007-01-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

The new condominiums at 3208 Pierce Street were open Wednesday evening, and the crowds definitely indicated a high level of public curiosity. After all: luxury condos with views of IHOP to the south and the Pierce Street public parking garage to the north?But, if you want new construction and modern, clean design within walking distance of Chestnut and Union, this is your building. Eleven of the

Just Listed: 509 Frederick

2007-01-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

JUST LISTED: 509 Frederick Street#1, Cole ValleyOffered at $959,000Located near the heart of Cole Valley, this beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 full bath condominium (with 1 car independent parking) was built with intelligent design in 2005, but still maintains the neighborhood's distinctive 1900's era exterior.The interior boasts engineered hardwood floors with in-floor radiant heating, managed by

Adding to the World Map

2007-01-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

I normally don’t venture far from local real estate news, but sooner or later we are all going to be talking about “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” and today I got a sneak peek at the investor website.For years, Dubai, part of the 7 emirates in the Middle East that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been building itself into a globally significant business and tourist destination for

Public to Have Access to the MLS Until February

2007-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Public access to the San Francisco Multiple Listing Service (MLS) will most likely extend until the end of February, I was told this week by a SFAR representative. Due to the unexpected cancellation of a reciprocal service combining the SF MLS listings with those of other Bay Area listing services, public access will stay in place as a work around for those real estate practitioners whose work

Cell Phone Swapping Website Could Become a Realtor Favorite

2007-01-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

TechCrunch today highlighted a website called cellswapper, which allows people to hang up on their current cellular service provider by selling it to another user who is looking for a cheap way to activate a new cell plan.As Realtors we are always chasing the best tool to keep in touch with clients, which sometimes means foresaking our current mobile service provider for the one who has the best